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Friday Five: Something to be afraid of

Spring started this week, but in Charlottesville the week started with snow. And, next week there are threats of a “nor’easter bomb” (and that is a technical term). Winter weather in spring is not unprecedented but after a long, cold winter it is certainly a scary prospect. Sometimes fears do come true and this week we feature stories of worst case scenarios, seemingly mundane fears, and highly improbable but still anxiety-inducing situations.

We like to think of ourselves as critical thinkers, it is kind of a pre-requisite in our line of work, but what if we aren’t that different from those we label as anti-science? @Salon

“Lean in”, it never hurts to ask, the worst thing that can happen is they say no. Turns out there are worse things that can happen, in academia they can take back your job offer and vilify you on the internet @InsideHigherEd

There are a lot of factors that go into choosing an outfit when you are a woman. While some believe these choices can lead to terrifying outcomes like rape, for many the more mundane fear is that you will be opening yourself up to discussions about your reproductive status and choices @ThoughtCatalog

If we are going to treat corporations as citizens, it seems only right that they should get to have fears. Though really unlikely to come true, data brokerage firms should probably fear the possibility of a “pay it back tax” on data mining @SocialMediaCollective

It is hard to imagine a worst case scenario than an airplane full of passengers disappearing off the face of the earth, but should consider all the possibilities, both Cartesian and phenomenological. To quote a fictional representative of Malaysian Airlines, “Everything’s on the table. That is, insofar as anything exists at all, which we’re also looking into.” @TheOnion